Harshit Rana out of IPL 2026, KKR coach confirmed, name of replacement decided
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KKR head coach Abhishek Nair said, “It is a big problem because Harshit Rana has been an important part of this team for the last few seasons, especially in the Championship season. He has grown a lot as a cricketer in the last year.” Nair did not give any specific time for Rana's return. He further added, “We will always miss Harshit Rana
Harshit Rana will not be able to play IPL 2026, coach confirmed
New Delhi. There is a big problem for Kolkata Knight Riders as fast bowler Harshit Rana was ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 on Friday due to the ligament injury he suffered in the recent warm-up match ahead of the T20 World Cup. The fast bowler suffered a ligament strain in his right knee in India's T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa, following which he underwent surgery in February and will now have to undergo a long rehabilitation.
KKR head coach Abhishek Nair said, “It is a big problem because Harshit Rana has been an important part of this team for the last few seasons, especially in the Championship season. He has grown a lot as a cricketer in the last year.” Nair did not give any specific time for Rana's return. He further said, “We will always miss Harshit Rana, it is not easy to replace him. But in the last few days, we have seen some bowlers to see who fits and who can play that role in the best way.
Coach worried about pacers' fitness
The injury of Sri Lankan fast bowler Mathisha Pathirana has also affected KKR's preparations. Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement, “Mathisha Pathirana, who has sought NOC to play in IPL 2026, has not been able to give the physical performance test yet as he is still undergoing rehabilitation to recover from the injury. He will give the test after the completion of the recovery and rehabilitation programme. Navdeep Saini, Akash Madhwal, Simarjeet Singh, Sandeep Warrier and KM Asif are among the fast bowlers who will be tested this week.” Seen preparing for IPL at Eden Gardens.
Captain has hopes from Varun
IPL will start from March 28 and KKR's first match is against Mumbai Indians on March 29, followed by their first home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 2. Regarding Varun Chakraborty's form, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane believes that the break after the T20 World Cup will be good for the spinner, who had given a lot of runs in the domestic mega event. Rahane said, “I don't see any problem in Varun's bowling… In the T20 World Cup, the opposition batsmen played him very well. We should praise him rather than talking about Varun. He further said, “I think this 10-day break was very beneficial for him, especially after coming from one high-intensity tournament to another high-intensity tournament.” Chakraborty was the highest wicket-taker in the mega event along with Jasprit Bumrah, taking 14 wickets, but gave 9.25 runs per over for his wickets.
